16/06/2014. Free To Use Image. Wexford Maritime Festival. Beachgoers to Curracloe today enjoyed the spectacle of ‘Two men in a boat’ as the launch for Wexford Maritime Festival got underway today (June 16, 2014) brothers Scott (age 8) and Rhys (age 5) Foley got into the seaside celebrations off to a buoyant start, one of the country’s largest maritime festival will be celebrated in Wexford from June 27 to 29 – see visitwexford.ie. Picture: Patrick Browne.

Wexford Maritime Festival to make a Splash as one of the country’s largest Maritime Celebrations

Beachgoers to Curracloe today enjoyed the spectacle of ‘Two men in a boat’ as the launch for Wexford Maritime Festival got underway. The Wexford Maritime Festival was established in 2012 to celebrate Wexford’s rich maritime heritage and culture and has attracted over 50,000 each year making it one of the country’s biggest maritime celebrations.

The festival takes place on Wexford Quay from June 27 to 29 and the organisers of this year’s jam-packed programme are expecting large crowds of over 50,000. This festival honours the memory of the founder the US Navy Commodore John Barry in his hometown of Wexford - known in the U.S. as ‘Father of the American Navy.

The annual Irish Marine Search and Rescue conference and exercise demonstration will take place during the festival with heads of all Irish rescue organisations including the Irish Coast Guard, RNLI, Navy, Air Corps, HSE, Garda Siochana, Civil Defence, Irish Mountain Rescue Association, Harbour authorities, Irish Cave Rescue organization and lifeguards attending their conference on Friday.

On Saturday a major air and sea rescue demonstration will take place in full view of Wexford quay commencing with a formation of the Air Corps Casa fixed wing aircraft and Air Corp Augusta Westland 139 helicopter and the new Irish Coast Guard S92 Rescue 117. A series of 5 rescue scenarios will be demonstrated including the dropping of a life-raft from th